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P&O Cruises

SS Canberra

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Reviewed by: Jeff Hubbell
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: April 3, 1976
Itinerary: Mediterranean

I was on Canberra in 1976. The service was always excellent -- I grew very fond of my steward. Despite being only 14 years old and a student as part of a group school tour from Canada, I was always treated with great courtesy. My only complaint was that I lost my watch (an Omega -- a gift from Europe from my late grandparents) somewhere on (I think) D-Deck, near the stern. I also remember hitting a gale in the Bay of Biscay, and while I enjoyed it, I know that classmates were down below retching uncontrollably. Evidently the stabilizers had been removed for that trip?? Finally, I was most surprised to see Canberra in 1982 sailing into San Carlos Sound in the Falkland Islands and coming under attack from Argentine aircraft. I don't know how they could have missed her, but I was glad that they did.

Pool had a tendency to slosh around a lot in rough weather. I never went in. There was a lounge off the promenade deck and right at the stern of the vessel where we students would congregate and have dances and the like. Always enjoyed it. Enjoyed the slot machines too. Had never tried them before the cruise.

We were in the aft dining room (Coral Room?) I remember that the menus were done up like Gilbert and Sullivan operettas on the cover. The food was generally quite good, breakfasts amazingly big. But the ship bakery never got the rolls right -- they were like rocks!

We had a cabin with four teenagers in it. There was a sink but no shower (that was in the washroom down the corridor). It was comfortable enough, but we felt it got quite stuffy in there (no air con that I recall) and I remember we forced open a porthole. That didn't last long. We came back once from breakfast to find that it had been very strongly bolted shut and we didn't fiddle with with. Being two decks down from the Promenade deck, I guess we were fairly close to the water. The washrooms were vile though -- not very well kept at all.

Well, they did a lot of Neil Sedaka songs. I tired of it quickly.

Deck quoits. Couldn't get enough. And ringette, that was popular too.

Lord no! A bunch of teenagers? The best part for me was that I was able, as a keen student of naval warfare of WW2 at the time, able to meet many RN veterans on the trip. I had many interesting discussions about the Battle of the Atlantic. I also met a Gallipolli veteran who I spoke with as we sailed into the Dardanelles. He pointed out where he was and where such and such an activity happened -- fascinating!!